Rainy Weekend, Maybe — Hurricane Hermine, which is now a tropical storm after making landfall in Florida, is expected to make its way up the coast and bring rain to the Mid-Atlantic region Saturday and Sunday. The exact track of the storm is still in question, thus it’s unclear just how much rain the D.C. area will get. [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter]
Big Immigration Court Delays — A federal immigration court in Crystal City has such a heavy caseload that some hearings are scheduled all the way out to 2024. [Fox 5]
Arlington Native Serving on USS Arlington — Wakefield High School grad Joseph Reed is serving as a fire controlman aboard the USS Arlington, the U.S. Navy ship named after his hometown. [Navy Office of Community Outreach]
Update at 11:15 p.m. — Numerous tree branches and power lines were reported to be down around Arlington following the storm. Currently, 366 Dominion customers are without power in the county.
Update at 9:05 p.m. — A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for Arlington.
⚠️ Take Cover! Severe Thunderstorm Warning including Adams Morgan DC and Washington DC until 9:30 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/LK8kY8F1ac
Earlier: Arlington County is under a Flash Flood Watch tonight (Wednesday) due to expected heavy rain.
From the National Weather Service:
FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 4PM EDT WED UNTIL 3AM EDT THU
… FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF MARYLAND… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND VIRGINIA… INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS… IN MARYLAND… ANNE ARUNDEL… CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD… CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY… NORTHWEST HOWARD… NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY… PRINCE GEORGES AND SOUTHERN BALTIMORE. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA… CLARKE… CULPEPER… EASTERN LOUDOUN… FAIRFAX… FREDERICK VA… GREENE… MADISON… NORTHERN FAUQUIER… NORTHERN VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE… ORANGE… PAGE… PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK… RAPPAHANNOCK… ROCKINGHAM… SHENANDOAH… SOUTHERN FAUQUIER… WARREN AND WESTERN LOUDOUN.
* FROM 4 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.
* THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN COVERAGE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR IN ADDITION TO REPETITIVE THUNDERSTORMS.
* LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL COULD CAUSE RAPID FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AS WELL AS LOW-LYING AND URBAN AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
Flash flooding does occur in Arlington, but it usually doesn’t prompt dramatic water rescues that you might see on the news in Fairfax County or elsewhere. Frequently flooded areas in Arlington include a low-lying section of Route 110 and the trails along Four Mile Run.
Update at 2:15 p.m. — Arlington is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch through 10 p.m. From the National Weather Service:
“SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. THE MAIN THREAT IS DAMAGING WIND WITH LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ALSO POSSIBLE. THE GREATEST RISK WILL BE BETWEEN 6 PM AND 10 PM…ESPECIALLY ACROSS VIRGINIA AND THE WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA.”
Earlier: Arlington and the D.C. region is under a Flash Flood Watch tonight.
Forecasters say heavy rainfall is expected and may cause localized flash flooding. The watch is in effect from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday. From NWS:
* FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
* THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL ARE EXPECTED LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. REPEATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE SAME AREA MAY RESULT IN FLASH FLOODING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
Much of the area is in an Enhanced Severe T-storm Risk today and a Flash Flood Watch goes into effect at 5pm. pic.twitter.com/NmJgPGaUay
Arlington Drops in Happiness Rankings — After being ranked 15th last year, Arlington has dropped out of the top 25 of the “happiest counties in America” list. [WTOP, SmartAsset]
Unsettled Weather This Weekend — Expect rain today, Saturday and Sunday, says the National Weather Service. On Sunday there’s a good chance of severe storms. [Twitter]
Rosslyn Outdoor Movie Fest Starts Tonight — Weather permitting, Rosslyn’s outdoor movie festival starts tonight with a showing of “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial.” This year’s Rosslyn movie theme is “Incredible Journeys.” [Rosslyn]
Fisette Mum on Reelection — Jay Fisette, the longest-serving current County Board member, says he will wait until the end of the year before deciding whether to run for reelection in 2017. [InsideNova]
Normally May is one of the more pleasantly sunny and warm months of the year in the D.C. area. Except for a brief period of warmth today, high temperatures this week will struggle to break out of the 60s.
How do you plan to cope with the cool, rainy, overcast weather this week?
Storms bring heavy rain, wind and flooding at night (file photo)
Storm on Feb. 24, 2016
Post-storm power outages across Northern Virginia
Update at 8:35 p.m. — The northbound GW Parkway is closed from Spout Run to the Beltway due to large potholes in the roadway. Drivers should expect heavy traffic on the Spout Run Parkway, and at Lee Highway at N. Kirkwood Street.
N/B parkway from Spout Run to 495 closed due to potholes. Crews onsite and working to repair.
Update at 7:30 p.m. — Firefighters are on scene of a car disabled due in high standing water on Route 110 between Rosslyn and the Pentagon. A large pothole is also being reported in the roadway, in the same area as yesterday’s “monster pothole.” Separately, the standing water near the ramp from WB Route 50 to Washington Blvd is reported to be some 10 inches deep.
Update at 7:25 p.m. — Large trees are reported to be down near the intersection of Arlington Ridge Road and 23rd Street S., and N. Taylor Street and 24th Street.
Update at 7:10 p.m. — Dominion has just updated their power outage numbers: more than 4,500 Dominion customers in Arlington are currently without power, the company reports. The largest outage is reported around Lyon Village, Virginia Square, Colonial Village and Rosslyn. Another is reported around Virginia Hospital Center.
Dominion is reporting more than 14,000 outages throughout Northern Virginia.
@ARLnowDOTcom there is also a power outage in Lyon Village/Lee Highway. Lights flickered then went back out
Update at 6:55 p.m. — There are major delays for those flying into Reagan National Airport tonight. There are also 30-45 minute delays for departing flights. From the FAA:
Due to WEATHER / THUNDERSTORMS, there is a Traffic Management Program in effect for traffic arriving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, DC (DCA). This is causing some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 2 hours and 12 minutes. To see if you may be affected, select your departure airport and check “Delays by Destination”.
General Departure Delays: Due to WX:Rain, traffic is experiencing Gate Hold and Taxi delays between 30 minutes and 44 minutes in length and decreasing.
Update at 6:45 p.m. — Firefighters have been dispatched to a house near the intersection of N. Oakland Street and 20th Street for a report of a house struck by lightning.
@ARLnowDOTcom Did anyone just see that lightning strike in VA Square? Looked like it struck on Nelson st but could have been farther away
Update at 6:40 p.m. — Arlington and Fairfax County firefighters are currently on the scene of a swift water rescue near Little Pimmit Run and the Old Glebe neighborhood.
#Breaking Swiftwater Rescue call dispatched in the area of Chesterbrook Rd and N Albemarle St. Avoid the area. More details forthcoming.
Update at 6:30 p.m. — Westbound Route 50 is partially blocked at Washington Blvd due to high standing water, according to scanner reports.
Update at 6:10 p.m. — With heavy rain falling, the National Weather Service has issued a Flood Warning through 10 p.m. In addition to rain and wind, some readers have reported hail falling in parts of Arlington.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WARNING FOR URBAN AREAS AND SMALL STREAMS IN… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA… SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… SOUTHEASTERN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… STAFFORD COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… THE CITY OF FAIRFAX IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 1000 PM EST
* AT 600 PM EST… DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN LIKELY TO CAUSE URBAN FLOODING. UP TO ONE INCH OF RAIN IS OCCURRING IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME… WHICH WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS THAT COULD CAUSE BRIEF STANDING WATER. AREAS THAT RECEIVE REPEATED HEAVY RAINFALL COULD REQUIRE UPGRADE TO A FLASH FLOOD WARNING… SO REMAIN ALERT WHILE TRAVELING OR DELAY TRAVEL UNTIL THE HEAVY RAIN ENDS.
* SOME LOCATIONS THAT MAY EXPERIENCE FLOODING INCLUDE… ARLINGTON… STAFFORD… ROCKVILLE… FREDERICKSBURG… FAIRFAX… VIENNA… FALLS CHURCH… SPRINGFIELD… PIMMIT HILLS… MANTUA… GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY… NATIONALS PARK… WOODBRIDGE… BETHESDA… AQUIA CREEK… ANNANDALE… DALE CITY… CRYSTAL CITY… AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE AND FORT BELVOIR.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED. STREAM RISES WILL BE SLOW AND FLASH FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED. HOWEVER… ALL INTERESTED PARTIES SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER IN URBAN AREAS… HIGHWAYS… STREETS AND UNDERPASSES AS WELL AS OTHER POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW LYING SPOTS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL ACROSS FLOODED ROADS. FIND ALTERNATE ROUTES. IT TAKES ONLY A FEW INCHES OF SWIFTLY FLOWING WATER TO CARRY VEHICLES AWAY.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF FLOOD WATERS. ONLY A FEW INCHES OF RAPIDLY FLOWING WATER CAN QUICKLY CARRY AWAY YOUR VEHICLE.
Heavy rain, water-laden ground and melting snow are a recipe for potential flooding today.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Arlington and much of the D.C. region from noon today to late tonight.
From NWS:
… FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM NOON EST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS EXPANDED THE
* FLOOD WATCH TO INCLUDE PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MARYLAND… THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA… INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS… IN CENTRAL MARYLAND… ANNE ARUNDEL… CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST HOWARD… CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MONTGOMERY… NORTHWEST HOWARD… NORTHWEST MONTGOMERY AND PRINCE GEORGES. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA… ARLINGTON/FALLS CHURCH/ALEXANDRIA… EASTERN LOUDOUN… FAIRFAX… PRINCE WILLIAM/MANASSAS/MANASSAS PARK AND WESTERN LOUDOUN.
* FROM NOON EST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
* THE COMBINATION OF MELTING SNOW AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN COULD RESULT IN FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AND STREAMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN ONE HALF AND ONE INCH… WITH ISOLATED SPOTS BETWEEN ONE AND TWO INCHES POSSIBLE.
* IN ADDITION… ICE MAY BE ON SOME OF THE SMALL STREAMS WHICH COULD ENHANCE THE FLOODING POTENTIAL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.
Arlington’s Dept. of Environmental Services is asking residents to clear leaves from gutters and storm drains today, before expected storms tomorrow.
The remnants of Hurricane Patricia are en route to the D.C. area. We should expect a stormy Wednesday, with 1-1.5 inches of rain and perhaps even some severe storms, says the Capital Weather Gang.
The fact that the rain is coming as leaves are falling off trees could lead to flooding and ponding issues around homes. DES tweeted the following advice this morning:
Before the rain comes, be sure to clean out gutters & storm drains. (1 of 2)
The annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest in Shirlington has been postponed due to inclement weather.
Event organizer Capitol City Brewing Company announced this morning that the Oktoberfest, originally scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, will instead be held next Sunday, Oct. 11.
“This rescheduled event will be [halved] in size, comparable to Capitol City’s Springfest event,” a PR rep said in an email. “Thank you for your understanding!”
Springfest consisted of beer samples from 45 breweries, mostly from Virginia, D.C. and Maryland.
While Hurricane Joaquin is looking like less of a threat to the East Coast, a nor-easter is bringing heavy rain to the region today and showers throughout the weekend.
Is the forecast changing your plans? Let us know how you’re coping with the lousy weather.
Get ready for a wet weekend. A coastal nor’easter is expected to bring torrential rainfall throughout most of Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for Arlington and the rest of the D.C. region, starting Friday morning. More watches and warnings are expected to be issued as Hurricane Joaquin nears, on the back of the nor’easter.
From the NWS:
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WATCH
* FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING.
* RAIN WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. WIDESPREAD RAIN TOTALS OF TWO TO FOUR INCHES ARE EXPECTED… WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. HEAVY RAIN COULD FALL OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ON SATURATED SOILS… WHICH COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.
* THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR RAPID RISES OF WATER ON NUMEROUS SMALL STREAMS… AS WELL AS IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. LARGER RIVERS WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE RISES. MUDSLIDES MAY OCCUR IN STEEP TERRAIN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
